Rate My Professor David Fukuda

David H. Fukuda, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Division of Kinesiology in the School of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science within the University of Central Florida's College of Health Professions and Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Oklahoma, following undergraduate training in production/operations management at Boise State University. This systems-based foundation informs his unique approach to teaching and research in exercise science. A fourth-degree black belt in judo with over 25 years of experience as a competitor, instructor, coach, and referee, Fukuda brings practical expertise to his academic role. At UCF, he leads undergraduate and graduate programs in kinesiology and exercise physiology, mentors master's theses and doctoral dissertations, and serves as faculty advisor for initiatives like Exercise is Medicine On Campus.

Fukuda directs the Physiology of Work and Exercise Response (POWER) Laboratory, where his research focuses on developing performance-based testing methodologies, analyzing physiological profiles in athletes, and evaluating adaptations to exercise training and nutritional interventions across populations, including combat sports athletes and older adults. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles, including highly cited papers such as 'The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men' (Mangine et al., Physiological Reports, 2015, 336 citations), 'The physiology of judo-specific training modalities' (Franchini et al., Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 2014, 272 citations), and 'Effects of β-alanine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on endurance performance and body composition in men' (Smith et al., Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2009, 270 citations). He authored the textbook Assessments for Sport and Athletic Performance. Fukuda holds certifications CSCS*D, CISSN, and ACSM-EP, and has secured grants as principal investigator, including from Abbott Laboratories ($225,357, 2024) and MICROPHYT SA ($262,458, 2022). His scholarship, with over 9,300 Google Scholar citations, has earned Fellow status from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (FNSCA, 2021), American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM, 2023), and the NSCA Educator of the Year award (2022).